Dear Friends,
Throughout the month of August, we have been looking back at some of the most well-known stories in the Bible during our sermon series entitled “Back to Sunday School.” One of the great things about this series is that we have discovered new background information, details and insights that enliven the stories in fresh and exciting ways. I want to thank all of you who have shared with me what these stories meant to you in your youth and how that meaning has changed or deepened throughout the years.
We will be concluding this series by looking at a story that is so well known that there are churches, charities, hospitals and even laws named after it: The Parable of the Good Samaritan. As we prepare to encounter this familiar tale once again, I invite you to think about the folks in your neighborhood. How well do you know them? Do you know them at all? When was the last time your neighborhood put on a block party? And if you do know your neighbors, what kind of things do you talk about and what issues feel the most important for you as a community?
It is my hope that in reencountering this parable and in reflecting on those questions that we might discern how God is calling all of us to take the bold step of seeing, meeting and getting to know our neighbors in genuine and meaningful ways. For we cannot come to love our neighbors, if we don’t first take the time to see them and learn about who they are and what they value.
I look forward to sharing more with you on Sunday.
In Peace, Hope and Love,
Pastor Luke
P.S. I want to thank Winnie Konopath and Sue Ernst for all of their wonderful work on designing our altar during this sermon series. It has greatly enhanced our worship space and I am so grateful for the talent that they share with us.
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